Russian state prosecutors have demanded a nine-year jail sentence for a ballet dancer accused of masterminding an acid attack against the Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director.

Pavel Dmitrichenko has pleaded not guilty to arranging the January 17 attack that left Sergei Filin with severe burns to his face and eyes and impaired his vision.

State prosecutor Yulia Shumovskaya told a Moscow court on November 29 that Dmitrichenko was at odds with Filin over the distribution of roles.

Shumovskaya also asked for 10 years in jail for Yury Zarutsky, the man accused of carrying out the attack, and six years for the driver who allegedly took Zarutsky to the scene of the attack -- Andrei Lipatov.

Filin's lawyer, Natalia Zhivotkova, said: "All the defendants are guilty and, from our point of view, deserve no mercy."